The invention relates to a deep-frying device comprising a reservoir for holding a deep-frying medium, which reservoir can be closed, a discharge device which communicates with the reservoir and which comprises a discharge channel for discharging fumes exuded during deep-frying, and a converter for converting volatile organic compounds contained in the fumes into carbon dioxide and water.
Such a deep-frying device is known from the Japanese Patent Application published under number 3-75020. The Japanese Patent Application published under number 3-82413 also discloses such a deep-frying device.
Substances which produce a distinct odour are released during the deep-frying of food. In general, this odour is not appreciated. The odour persists long after deep-frying and readily spreads to other rooms than the location where deep-frying takes place. This is particularly annoying if deep-frying is effected at home because private residences generally do not have specialized equipment for capturing odours emitted during deep-frying, and the undesired odour will spread to areas such as living rooms, bedrooms and studies.
It is common practice to use carbon filters, for example in the lid of the deep-frying device, in order to reduce odour annoyance. However, this provides only a limited reduction of the odour annoyance because carbon filters become rapidly saturated and in general also steam is emitted during deep-frying and impairs the operation of the carbon filter.
The deep-frying devices in accordance with said Japanese Patent Applications utilize another odour-control principle, i.e. the conversion of the odorous constituents in the exuded fumes into carbon dioxide and water, for which purpose a catalytic converter is used.
It is to be noted that the use of a catalytic converter to suppress odours emitted during the preparation of food is also described in other documents. The German Patent Application published under number 43 21 530 describes the use of a catalytic converter in a discharge channel connected to an extractor hood. The international Patent Application 90/02508 describes a roasting and grilling device having a catalytic converter in a discharge channel connected to a force-vented space having a bottom constructed as a roasting and grilling plate.
A drawback of the use of a converter to convert odorous constituents of substances released during deep-frying, as described in said Japanese patent documents, is that they provide only a moderate reduction of the odour annoyance.